Wearable Sensor Crop Status Estimation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Agricultural workers face inefficiencies and health risks due to lack of effective monitoring systems for their activities, location, and crop status, leading to low profitability and musculoskeletal disorders, with existing solutions being impractical or focused on automation rather than worker health and crop management.

Innovation Solution

A method using wearable sensors to collect and process georeferenced data, including worker movements and crop status, employing pre-trained models and multimodal signal processing to estimate crop status and worker health, generating real-time geographic maps for efficient resource management.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If wearable sensors with multiple sensors are used to monitor worker health and crop status, then measurement precision and reliability are improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecrop status monitoring accuracyVSAvoidwearable sensor system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple sensor types (accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, GPS) into a single wearable device that simultaneously monitors worker health metrics and crop status. This merging approach allows the system to achieve comprehensive monitoring capabilities while managing complexity through integrated design rather than separate devices.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The wearable sensor system is designed with multi-functionality, serving both worker health monitoring and crop status estimation purposes. The same device collects data for multiple objectives (posture analysis, cut counting, location tracking, and crop condition inference), thereby reducing the need for separate specialized devices.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Productivity

If real-time monitoring of worker activities and location is implemented, then productivity and safety are improved, but loss of time for data collection and processing increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresource management efficiencyVSAvoiddata processing time
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary data processing and analysis continuously in the background during worker activities. By pre-processing sensor data streams and maintaining running statistics, the system prepares insights before they are needed for decision-making, reducing the time required for analysis when actions are required.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements continuous feedback loops where worker performance and crop status data are immediately processed and fed back to managers and workers. This real-time feedback enables dynamic adjustment of workflows and resource allocation, improving productivity while minimizing delays through instantaneous information availability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Reliability

If comprehensive monitoring of worker health and crop status is implemented, then reliability of agricultural operations is improved, but device complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveagricultural operation reliabilityVSAvoidmonitoring system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent integrates multiple monitoring functions (worker health tracking, location monitoring, crop status estimation) into a single unified wearable system. This consolidation achieves comprehensive monitoring coverage while managing complexity through shared hardware and software components across all monitoring functions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The system employs autonomous data processing and self-diagnostic capabilities where the wearable device automatically analyzes its own sensor data, validates measurements, and generates insights without requiring external intervention. This self-service approach reduces the complexity of external monitoring infrastructure while maintaining high reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP4481665A1Method for estimating an agricultural crop status from a wearable sensor
Publication Date: 2024.12.25 INESC TEC INST DE ENGENHARIA DE SISTEMAS E COMPUTADORES TECHA E CIENCIA
  • EP4481665A1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4481665A1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP4481665A1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

The present document discloses a method for estimating an agricultural crop status from a wearable sensor worn by an agricultural worker, comprising the steps: collecting sensor data points from the wearable sensor worn by the agricultural worker when working on the agricultural crop, wherein each sensor data point is georeferenced; estimating an agricultural crop status for each sensor data point, using a pre-trained model which correlates sensor data with agricultural crop status; generating a 2D representation from the estimated agricultural crop status. It is also disclosed a wearable sensor to be worn by an agricultural worker for estimating an agricultural crop status and respective system.